Why Did I Switch to Chemical Free Cleaning

Why did I switch to chemical free cleaning?

Truthfully. We can never go chemical free. We will always be exposed to chemicals that are found in the air and soil, it would be impossible to avoid every chemical but we can reduce our chemical exposure. Let’s talk about why did I switch to chemical free cleaning.

Let me ask you to do me a favor. Find spray bottle of Bathroom or Kitchen cleaner in your home. Flip it over and look at the back. How many ingredients do you recognize? How many of them appear to be chemicals with long, complicated names?

Why did I switch to chemical free cleaning -Safety

The number one reason I switched to chemical free cleaning was safety. I mean, have you read the label on the back of a commercial cleaner? Pick up a bottle from under your sink and read what it says. I think you will find – Warning! Flammable! Do not ingest! Keep out of reach of children! Even Tide (very popular laundry soap in the USA) now has a commercial on TV that is a public service announcement about kids eating pods and how they are not a toy.

Unfortunately, there is little regulation of our cleaning supplies. When I researched the testing required I found out that many chemicals used in household cleaners have not been tested for safety. Household cleaning supplies are one most common substances accounting for calls to the National Poison Control Center. Many commercial cleaners contain ingredients that are endocrine disrupting chemicals, carcinogens, or neurotoxins. Children and pets are even more vulnerable to chemical exposure because they are smaller. If all that ditching harsh chemicals did was give this momma peace of mind, it was worth it to make the switch to natural, plant based ingredients. I know there is a lot of information, let’s keep going.

Many harsh toxins in conventional cleaners can disrupt our endocrine system meanwhile some have been associated with weight gain and heart disease. Studies report that these everyday, household chemicals can wreak havoc on your respiratory system, cellular health, thyroid, adrenal glands, mental clarity & even lead to cancer.

Let’s look at some numbers!

• Children born to women who held cleaning jobs while pregnant have an elevated risk of birth defects, according to a 2010 study by the New York State Department of Health.
Reference www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20029025

Why did I switch to chemical free cleaning -Air Quality

Cleaners can contaminate our air. Did you know that indoor air is 5 times more polluted than outdoor air? When we spray these cleaners, the toxins in the cleaner are released in the air. These small particles attach to dust particles in the air and end up in our lungs. I wrote a post on why it is important to dust. Not to mention, our crawling babies and pets who hang out on our floors are at the most risk as they are exposed to the residue that falls from the air.

When I read this I was like WHAT? This is crazy! Most cleaning products contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which have been associated with many health problems, including damage to the liver, kidneys, and the central nervous system. They have also been shown to harm our lungs and cause throat irritations and headaches. I spoke about VOCs in this post. Ouch! VOCs are released when products are used and can linger in the air long after we clean. Now that I know this, I can step up and take charge of what my kids & I are breathing. These toxins get in our bodies & wreck havoc.

The Toxic Substance Control Act required the government to prove that a substance caused harm in order to control or replace a dangerous chemical. The law has been slightly updated for newly created chemicals, but the 80,000+ chemicals created in the last century are still being used in the marketplace.

Yikes! Time to be an advocate for your health and make some changes, right? You are in the right place! We got you covered. Stick with these cleaning tips and recipes & you’ll be loving the day you switched out these dangers for you, your kids and your entire family. Over the past few decades, we’ve been accustom to associating cleanliness with harsh disinfectants and sharp “clean” smells. The manufacturer’s know this! The truth is, you don’t need those unrecognizable ingredients to clean your home. You don’t even need them to kill germs. Natural cleaning recipes like the ones in our community can take care of getting rid of the microbes, viruses and bacteria!

We have a community that shares ideas and tips on living chemical free. Purchase a kit and we will place you in this community. I prefer the Thieves but the Desert diffuser is beautiful with a ton of essential oils.

Why did I switch to chemical free cleaning -Convenience

It’s much easier to clean with a few products that take care of all your cleaning needs, rather than a having whole arsenal of toxic products under your sink and in your bathrooms. I use a multipurpose household cleaner that has saved me tons of time. The name of this item is Thieves® Household Cleaner, you can tackle multiple cleaning jobs in your home without switching products as you clean! It cleans countertops, windows, mirrors, floors, toilets, showers, and pretty much everything else. Plus, you don’t have to worry about getting bleach stains on your clothes or accidentally mixing dangerous chemicals together. Gone are the days that I have to put on my “cleaning clothes” to clean my house. I can’t tell you how many white splotched clothes I have, I think I know where the tye dye idea came from.

Why did I switch to chemical free cleaning -Cost

The cost of buying cleaners is expensive, especially if you have to buy multiple different cleaners. If you buy the “green” or “all natural” cleaners they are even MORE expensive! The way I make my household cleaner, it costs less than $1 a bottle and is not toxic or dangerous if there happens to be an ingestion incident. I can find most of my cleaning ingredients at any store and they are very inexpensive. SOLD! This lady here runs a tight budget so this reason alone was a must to switch.

Tell me, have you ever tried natural cleaners? Did you find they didn’t clean? Have you started to hear the buzz about how harmful cleaning products can be? I would love to hear your thoughts.